


Of Mummies, Books and... Storks?

by elletromil



Series: The Stork of Life [1]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - The Mummy Fusion, Getting Together, Horror, Humor, M/M, Mummies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 20:45:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9020527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/pseuds/elletromil
Summary: Merlin hadn’t believe James when his brother had told him he had found the puzzle box on a dig, but considering what it had contained inside, he had been ready to let it slide for once.
  An honest to god map to Hamunaptra was far more important than any attempt to make James develop any kind of morals after all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First of all I want to thank my fantastic pandamuse Dianyx without whom I would have abandon the challenge. Your enthusiasm for this story is what got me going <3
> 
> The idea to make a Mummy au wasn't exactly a new one when the challenge came up since I was already talking of making one with Dia and Ali after we watch the two movies. I briefly entertained the idea of taking up two Reel like last year and do both movies, and then decided for my sake that it was best if I left any possible sequel to this fic be written in its own time. And a sequel _will_ be written I just don't know when yet.
> 
> Anyway, participating in the reel challenge was as fun as last time, even if I struggled with it for personal reason (overtime, so much overtime) and I just hope you'll have fun reading this story!
> 
> Some of the dialogue do come from the movie and I claim no ownership over those words. Also while I do think the story stands on its own without knowledge of the movies, there are some points that make be more understandable if you've seen them.

Harry had cursed darkly when he saw the general fleeing as their enemies approached, mostly against himself for having too much honor and not doing the same. He wasn’t stupid after all and could recognize an hopeless fight when he saw one. But he also couldn’t in good conscience abandon those men to their sad fate.

Charlie, that little cockroach, didn’t have such qualms however and Harry was more surprised that he had actually expected the young man to stay and have his back, rather than follow the general’s example. If he were to survive the day and somehow cross path with that poor excuse of a man, he would make sure not to make the same mistake.

Any thoughts of Charlie left his mind when he and his men started shooting at the riders and for a moment he thought that maybe, just maybe, they had a chance of coming out of this confrontation alive.

His optimism didn’t last however and before long, he was running away himself, trying to escape blades and bullets alike.

He easily got cornered by the riders in the end and he closed his eyes in surrender, hoping against hopes that his death would be swift. Instead of death however, he heard cries of horror and when he dared to crack an eye open, he was standing alone in the ruins of whatever structure had been erected thousands of years ago.

Harry would have find it strange, if not for the feeling of dread quickly taking a hold of his heart, a dread of another kind than the one from the fight. That one had had a tangible basis while this one was what he could only qualified as otherworldly.

When he started hearing whispers in the wind of his imminent death and the sand all but attacked him, he decided it was high time to follow the riders’ example and get out of there as quickly as possible.

Running into the desert would surely spell his demise, if those men overlooking the fight didn’t finish the job first, but he would rather take that death instead of whatever fate awaited him if he stayed in those ruins he was now sure were haunted.

*

Merlin couldn’t say how he got there, sitting on the floor of the library, surrounded by piles and piles of books, trying to organize them in a more sensible order then when they had been on the shelves, but there he was.

One thing he knew for sure however, was that it wasn’t entirely his fault. After all, he had merely been attempting to put the books back in their rightful spot. It wasn’t his fault if the classification system of the library was absolute rubbish and no one could ever find what they needed because of it.

Really, he was just helping out.

Not that the curator seemed to think he was. If anything, he acted as if Merlin had been put on this earth simply to personally test his patience.

From anyone else, Merlin wouldn’t have cared, but Dagonet had been caring for him and his brother after they had lost their parents, had been the one making sure they would not be in need of anything while they were growing up.

Without Dagonet, Merlin probably wouldn’t have a job and no matter how _wrong_ its system was, the library was now his home. He would be quite at a loss of what to do if he couldn’t come back here everyday. And really, once Merlin would put back everything in (a new and improved) order, Dagonet would realised that Merlin had been right and he wasn’t the calamity one would believe him to be if one were to believe the old man’s words.

That was of course if James didn’t set fire to the library first and his brother better had a good explanation for why he was here, because Merlin simply didn’t have the time for his usual shenanigans.

*

Merlin hadn’t believe James when his brother had told him he had found the puzzle box on a dig, but considering what it had contained inside, he had been ready to let it slide for once.

An honest to god map to Hamunaptra was far more important than any attempt to make James develop any kind of morals after all.

Hamunaptra…

That word was more exciting to him than anything in the world. And not because of the riches it was rumored to contain, but the sheer idea of making that discovery and acquiring all the new knowledge that had been kept hidden there for centuries upon centuries… Even in his wildest dreams, Merlin had never dared imagined something like this.

Still, he would probably have ended up chastising James for lying to him, if it hadn’t been for the relief that they might have one more lead to the lost city after Dagonet accidentally burnt a good portion of the map.

Would he have preferred not having to go visit a prisoner about to be hanged for that lead? Most assuredly.

Would James have preferred they hadn’t had to promise the warden 25 percent of their findings. Without a doubt.

But for Hamunaptra, Merlin- and James- were ready to go to much more lengths if necessary.

And if the prisoner, or Harry as he had introduced himself, was definitely a scoundrel, at the very least, he was one who cleaned up rather nicely.

Not that Merlin would ever tell him.

If Harry had hit James for stealing from him, he didn’t want to know what he would do to him if he found out about Merlin’s attraction to him. Merlin wasn’t stupid after all, nor did he have a death wish.

Some things simply stayed mere fantasies forever.

*

Harry had had no intention of ever returning to that cursed place, but he was also a man of his word. He had told Merlin he would lead him to Hamunaptra if he managed to get him free and since Merlin had upheld his side of the bargain, Harry would upheld his own too.

It had nothing to do with the clear sexual tension between them, Harry wasn’t actually stupid. Merlin might have been adorably oblivious to it, but his brother hadn’t. Sure James didn’t look like much, but if he had managed to steal the puzzle box from him one time, it meant he could be a sneaky son of a bitch. Harry wouldn’t give him a reason to try and use his skills on murdering him in defense of his brother’s virtue or some such nonsense.

No, he would simply pay his debt then be on his merry way, with maybe one or two new fantasies to keep him company at night.

*

Charlie had thought he had been doing a good job avoiding Hart on the boat, right until he had found himself pressed against some crates, an arm pushing against his throat threateningly.

He thought it was a bit of an overreaction, but very sensibly kept that to himself. There were many things said about Charlie and only one he wholeheartedly agreed with; that he had a very good survival instinct. It wouldn’t do to aggravate Hart more than he already was because of how they had parted way the last time they had seen each other.

He was already down his luck because King had refused to pay him fully until they had come back from Hamunaptra, he didn’t want to add injuries to the list.

For a time, he thought he was doing a good job placating the other man, until he was thrown overboard without any kind of warnings.

However, not half an hour later, as he was watching the burning boat sinking into the waters standing safely on the shore, he quickly thanked his lucky star.

It looked like Lady Luck had yet to abandon him after all.

Or so he thought until he realised they were standing on the wrong side of the river and Hart now had a clear advantage on his group.

*

James might not be as academically smart as his brother, but he knew people. Sure, that had never stopped him from getting into less than ideal situations, but that had been because he liked to gamble too much rather than because he was gullible or something.

All this to say that he wasn’t blind to the mutual attraction between his brother and their guide. It had been rather surprising since he had never known Merlin to get so covetous a look except when a new artifact entered his line of sight, but he couldn’t say he was shocked by whom had finally captured his interest.

Harry, last name still unknown, was a handsome man, even if rather too prone to violence for James’ personal taste. Not that he was anything but gentle with Merlin, which was the only reason he hadn’t stabbed the other man in his sleep already. Merlin was old enough to make his own decision even if that meant his heart would be broken once they parted with Harry. But he also did deserved the best and if Harry hadn’t let his inner gentleman come up to the surface whenever he was interacting solely with Merlin, James wouldn’t have allowed the dalliance to continue. What had endeared Harry to him however was how the man had acquired a fine toolkit for Merlin from the Americans, without prompting.

Not that James hadn’t planned on paying the Americans’ camp site a little visit for the exact same purpose himself, but it was nice not having to do so himself.

His fondness only lasted as long as it took for the tension between Harry and Merlin to ratchet up again, so much so that James had half a mind to yell at them to just kiss already.

*

She could feel them skittering all over the city, restless like the scarabs that had devoured her flesh.

It wasn’t the first time someone dared to enter the cursed lands and if the meddling Medjai were still guarding those parts, it wouldn’t be the last.

But this time felt different, trepidation coursing through the ruins like a living thing, an omen that the wait might finally be over.

She felt her resting place being disturbed, the chest being opened. She felt the holy warriors come and go, but for once their departure did no left her with only the wind and the sand and her endless damnation.

She continued to feel them, fools wandering her deathly domain, four she could sense more acutely than the others, with a hunger that would have scared her if fear had not lost its hold on her a long time ago.

Still, she waited, waited for the words that would finally awaken her, free her from the bounds and let her be reunited with her love once more.

*

The last thing Percival had wanted was to leave the interlopers in Hamunaptra, but he had had no choice but to retreat when he had been threatened with the dynamite.

He had lost far too many warriors already, in too short a time, and the Medjai numbers were already dwindling down as it was, fear of the past and the need to protect the world from the old evils lost in the face of progress, arrogance and supposed superiority.

White men would do well to remember that much of their “advancement” had been stolen from the countries they had invaded, from the people they deemed as barbaric.

They would do well to understand that if those very same people were still afraid of curses millennia-old, it might not be out of sheer superstition.

*

Merlin had not like the Americans, but no one deserved to have their eyes and tongue eaten by… by a mummy! Even as the poor Bors was crawling away from him and the horror that was slowly cornering him, Merlin couldn’t even find in himself to blame him.

If he hadn’t been so terrifyingly mesmerized by the approaching nameless horror, he would have been out of the corridor in a heartbeat himself.

“Valentine?” The voice chilled him to the marrow of his bones, otherworldly and dark. “Come with me my Prince Valentine.”

He did not questioned how he could understand her so easily, nor how he even know she was female. Transfixed, he started raising his arm, as if to take the offered hand.

Fortunately, Harry erupted into the corridor at that precise moment, stopping him from making contact. The way he urgently grabbed him by the upper arm after firing his shotgun at the mummy completely shook him out of whatever trance he had fallen in and he didn’t wait to be yelled at again before running with the rest of their little group.

*

“I told you to leave or die… Now, you may have killed us all, for you have unleashed a creature we have feared for more than three thousand years.”

“Calm down, I got him.”

Percival regretted now not to have killed the man when he had had the opportunity, to have let his fate be decided by the desert.

“No mortal weapon can kill this creature. She’s not of this world.” She might have been once, but those were now long forgotten days. What she had done to the interloper was more than enough proof. Of course, the group of outsiders first thought was that him and his warriors were responsible, as if they were the monsters here. “We saved him, saved him before the creature could finish her work. And now you should leave, all of you, and quickly! Because what awaits you if you stay is far worse. I must go on the hunt now, and try and find a way to kill her.”

Once more the arrogant outsider tried to tell him he had gotten her, but Percival knew they wouldn’t be so lucky.

“Know this if you have one thing to know in the days you have left to live. This creature is the bringer of death. She will never eat, she will never sleep, and she will never stop.”

In another situation the fear that his words instilled in the stranger’s eyes might have been satisfying but it was of very poor comfort compared to the horror he would soon be forced to face.

*

Charlie wasn’t sure how he was still alive, but the important thing was that the mummy didn’t seem too bent on killing him anymore. Also, he didn’t know exactly where the golden trinkets he was now being offered for his services had come from since the creatures had no clothes, but he had never been one to wonder at the figurative provenance of payments. He wouldn’t start wondering at their _literal_ provenance now.

He had always been good at survival after and if it meant throwing others to the millennia-old mummy, then so be it.

Better them than him.

It would serve that bastard King right for not paying him in full in the first place.

*

Percival suppressed a sigh at being held at gunpoint by the very same group of people who had unleashed the terror of the creature on the world.

At least, they did not actually shoot him nor Dagonet and they seemed more agreeable to actually listen to him here in Cairo than they had been back at the ruins of Hamunaptra.

But then again, seeing the fate that awaited them if the High Priestess Gazelle were to get to them could only be a good incentive to cooperation.

Much like finding out that an undead mummy had apparently decided one would make the perfect sacrifice to bring back her lover from the dead should be.

He wasn’t sure if Merlin was fearless or just didn’t grasp the full implications of it yet, but he seemed much more disturbed that Gazelle had tried to kiss him, than that she wanted to kill him in order to bring Prince Valentine back to life.

The way James and Harry closed ranks on each side of him were a far more appropriate reaction, but he feared that it would all be for naught in the long run.

But maybe not everything was lost yet. If they could find King and the Book of the Dead Gazelle would need to resurrect the dead Prince before she did, and then somehow evaded her long enough, it might give them enough time to find a way to get rid of the creature.

As they watched the moon cover the sun, another sign that the High Priestess was becoming more and more powerful he had trouble not losing all hopes. They could barely fight her off at her weakest, what chance had they now?

Strangely enough, instead of plunging them into despair, the thought of imminent death only seemed to strengthen the little group’s determination to survive and Percival couldn’t help but be inspired in return.

He had sworn an oath after all. As long as he breathed, he would do his duty and protect the world from the cursed creature to the best of his abilities.

*

The first thing Merlin would do once he got out of the room Harry had locked him in before leaving to find King would be to punch Harry for daring to lock him in. The second thing would probably be to punch _James_ in the face, for letting Harry do it in the first place.

Sure, Merlin was a librarian and couldn’t pretend having half the experience with firearms that any of their group had, but he was far from being useless. And anyway, they had established pretty early on that Gazelle was immune to such weapon.

It stung to be treated like a damsel in distress, as if he couldn’t hold his own. He had expected some protest from James of course, his brother getting protective at the most random of times, but to think Harry had such a low opinion of him as to trick him into being locked inside…

He had been careful not to read too much in his interactions with the man, knew that this way only madness lied, but he had thought he had at least gained his respect. That Harry wouldn’t think he was a burden at best, a liability at worst.

Obviously, he had been mistaken.

Lost in his brooding, he noticed too late the sand trickling into the room from the keyhole right until he was no longer alone, the nearly entirely regenerated mummy advancing on him, _stalking_ him really, like a predator its prey, and one more he found himself cornered to a wall.

She was undeniably beautiful and Merlin shuddered as he thought about the price the Americans had paid for it. Some part of her skin was still parchment thin when it wasn’t outright missing and he could see what he assumed were scarabs still running under her flesh. He wondered distractedly if she could feel the insects or not.

“Valentine,” she raised a hand to his face, cupping his cheek tenderly, looking at him with a love that had transcend centuries. For a second, he forgot himself and leaned into the touch, yearning to be the rightful recipient of such devotion for once in his life.

He came to his senses when Gazelle started closing the distance between their lips, pushing her back towards the doors that burst open on his brother, Harry and, more importantly, the cat he held in his arms. One look at the hissing guardian of the underworld had Gazelle flee in a howling sand tornado and Harry was at his side in no time, hands hovering over him in worry.

“Are you alright?”

Their eyes met and Merlin could only nod dumbly, his hand raising on its own volition to grip at Harry’s.

Harry looked surprised, but gingerly linked their fingers as his expression slowly turned into something soft and pleased and Merlin wondered how he could have been so blind to the way Harry looked at him, that he had needed to see the same expression on a mummy before understanding what it meant.

“Not to break down whatever epiphany you two are having, but we’re down to only one American before Gazelle is back to full power and she’s got the black book, Maybe now is of the best of time.”

James wasn’t wrong of course, but Merlin had had some time to think during his little imprisonment (he wouldn’t be punching anyone in the face after all, but he would get his revenge as soon as they got rid of the mummy) and while the black book was important to Gazelle, what _they_ needed was instead the gold Book of Amun-Re.

Finding it should be too hard.

Probably.

*

They were surrounded on all sides by the mummy’s mindless slaves, with nowhere left to run, the only men in Cairo still with any free will of their own. The mob parted ways to let its mistress pass, following by a man that Harry fellow had aptly describe as a cockroach.

“The creature… She is fully regenerated.”

If Dagonet had ever been asked to name his worst nightmare, saying those words would have been it.

Or at least, this was what he believed until Gazelle started speaking.

“Come with me, my Prince. It is time to make you mine for all eternity. Take my hand and I will spare your friends.”

 _This_ , this was his worst nightmare, having to watch Merlin, the boy he had raised like a son, sacrifice himself so they could fight another day. Having to hold James back from stopping his brother. It was knowing that he had failed in protecting both his children at the hurt sound James couldn’t quite repress when Merlin took Gazelle’s outstretched hand.

Merlin might have faith in them, trust them to save him before they reach Hamunaptra and the High Priestess kills him to bring back her dead love, but the truth was, it shoud have never come to this.

Yet, when he urged James, Percival and Harry to flee through the sewers after Gazelle left and broke her work by ordering the mob to kill them, it wasn’t in penance, it wasn’t in defeat.

Too often he had doubted Merlin and James because he had been afraid to let them go, let them soar through life.

He would not make the same mistake in his last hour.

He had faith too, faith that they could stop the creature.

They just needed time and Dagonet would make sure that they got it, even if he knew that would be the last thing he ever did.

He drew his sword and his last prayer wasn’t for his own soul, but for his children’s safety.

*

Percival might have been too hasty in his judgement of the outsiders.

While they were definitely arrogant and had meddled with things they would have been better to leave alone, they were at least persistent and resourceful in their attempts to right their wrong. Most of their fervour might come out of their desire to save Merlin, but saving a loved one was no less noble than saving the world, in his opinion.

In his defense however, the main reason he had been underestimating _James_ was because the man had become an expert at appearing like a simpleton and he seemed to half believe it was true himself.

But a simpleton wouldn’t have found the entrance to the treasure chamber so easily in the ruins of Hamunaptra where laid the gold book of Amun-Re they so desperately needed. And while he had not tried to hide his awe at the riches before his eyes, he had not wavered for a second from their goal; finding the statue of Horus that should contain what they were seeking.

The man clearly had a devotion to his brother that Percival couldn’t help but envy. The life of a Medjai was a lonely one even if he would never regret his choice.

If this would be how he died, fighting off the priest mummies Gazelle had raised against them, than it would be with the pride of having done his duty. It shouldn’t matter that no one would remember him.

*

Merlin regained consciousness to the sound of distant explosions and gunfire and the disturbing sight of a mummy lying right next to him. At least, this one wasn’t animated for the time being, but Merlin didn’t really find comfort in it when he was chained to the slab of rock they were lying on and thus couldn’t put any distance between them.

Panic started coursing through his veins when Gazelle came into view, as beautiful as she was terrifying, holding open the Book of the Dead, looking serene and victorious, her eyes riveted to the mummy besides Merlin.

When she started chanting and Merlin could see what she assumed was Valentine’s soul flew to the mummy, he went past the point of simple panic.

“Harry! James! I don’t know what you’re doing, but I need help! Now!”

He continued to struggle against his bounds, but to no avail. He couldn’t say if the gunfire was getting any closer or if it was a trick of the mind, he only knew that the mummy at his side had merge with the soul of Prince Valentine and that Gazelle was raising a dagger above him threateningly.

“With your death, Valentine shall live again.”

Before she could stab him however, she was interrupted by James’ cries of having found the gold book and Harry using her moment of surprise to come barreling into her.

For a moment, Merlin was distracted by the fight happening in front of him, but it was soon evident that Harry wouldn’t be able to hold his own for long against Gazelle if nothing was done to strip her of her powers.

“James! James read from the book!”

Somehow, his hands finally got free and it was not a minute too soon, Valentine’s mummy having somehow grabbed the dagger and ready to finish what had been started.

“James!”

“I can’t figure out one of the symbol!”

If Merlin had not been busy trying to hold off a preternaturally strong mummy from stabbing him to death, he might have sight in annoyance or gotten into another diatribe that James really should just learn to apply himself because knowing hieroglyphs in Egypt could only be useful. Given that he _was_ holding off a preternaturally strong mummy from stabbing him _to death_ , he just yelled at his brother again.

“What does it look like?”

“A bird?” It was far from being helpful and he could see from the corner of his eye that Harry wasn’t faring very good against Gazelle at the moment. “A stork! It’s a stork!”

“Ahmenophus!”

“Oh right!” There was a worrying silence, but before he could urge James to just _hurry up_ , he started reading the passage.

For a moment, nothing happened and Merlin feared he had been horrible wrong. Then he saw them, guard-like mummies clearly awaiting further instructions.

“James, you have to command them!”

This time, there was no hesitation before his brother’s voice echoed in the chambers again and both Gazelle and Valentine screamed inhumanly as the guards walk upon them and rapidly made short work out of them.

He didn’t waste time helping Harry back on his feet, ignoring the enraged curses Gazelle was yelling at them, finding the falling rocks and sinking walls around them rather more pressing.

For once, James didn’t wait being told to start being helpful, and he got on the other side of Harry to help him support his weight as they made their way out of the ruins as fast as they could.

As they went through the treasure chamber, Merlin felt a pang of regret at the loss of everything they could have learned from the numerous artefacts, but not for very long. Being alive trumped knowledge in his humble opinion.

He felt far more guilty for not having been able to help Charlie get out and knowing he was now entombed alive with probably no hope of getting out. Charlie might have been more of a cockroach than a man, but no one deserved such a fate. Even Harry seemed uneasy that they had had no choice but to leave him down there.

However, as they ran away from the crumbling ruins, it was clear no one would ever be able to find the buried Hamunaptra again.

Where once stood the ruins, now there was only desert.

*

James didn’t know if he could ever catch his breath again, not after the week he just had.

And certainly not when a Medjai took upon himself to scare him half to death by sneaking up behind them just when they had finally escaped that thrice-damned mummy.

Sure, he was glad the man was alive considering just how many people they had lost in such a short time, but the sneaking behind him really hadn’t been necessary.

And just where had these camels come from?

“You have earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people.”

“Yes well, considering our alternative was _dying horribly and painfully_ , I don’t think there was much of a choice.”

The austere warrior's little chuckle made him look far less terrifying and quite handsome instead.

“Nevertheless, allow me to escort you back to Cairo as a thank you.”

James was about to protest that Percival probably had far more important task at hand, other mummies to stop and cursed places to keep hidden, but one look at how Merlin and Harry were still holding onto each other and didn’t seem all that aware of that was outside their little bubble, made him revise his decision. It probably wouldn’t be so bad to have company other than the camels.

He groaned internally when he saw Harry cup Merlin’s cheeks in his hands and turned away before he could see them kiss.

Percival was openly laughing at him as he got on his camel, but he’d rather be laughing stock than have the man take offence to two consenting adults doing whatever they pleased.

“We’ll be taking the lead,” he threw over his shoulder, not waiting to see if they had heard him. He rather doubted it, but it wasn’t like they would be difficult to spot in the flat desert.

Merlin deserved an uninterrupted moment of happiness. And it would give James plenty of time to prepare a shovel talk for Harry.

He had a feeling the man would be hanging around for some time.


End file.
